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UCC celebrates 90th year today

UCC celebrates 90th year today K J Francis Joy Express News Service KOCHI: The Union Christian College, Aluva, one of the topmost institutions in the higher

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, Jun 5, 2010

UCC celebrates 90th year today
K J Francis Joy
Express News Service

KOCHI: The Union Christian College, Aluva, one of the topmost
institutions in the higher education field in Kerala, is entering the ‘Navathi’ (90th year) of its inception. Former President A P J Abdul Kalam will inaugurate the year-long celebrations on the college campus on Saturday at 7 PM.

The state-of-the-art college has a long history. The prestigious institution situated on an ideally located ‘Kacheri-malika’, one of
the first zilla courts in erstwhile Travancore close to the Periyar in Aluva, was set up in a room rented out by Catholic seminary with 60 students and a handful of teachers by four young people in 1921. The founder-members Prof K C Chacko, Prof A M Varki, Prof C P Mathew and Prof V M Ittyerah were great visionaries who visualised an institution with residential and homely facilities under the guidance of a cosmopolitan team of teachers.

It’s the only centre of higher education in Kerala run on ecumenical basis. The college is managed by an association of members drawn from the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, the Malankara Marthoma Church, the Church of South India and the Inter Church Fellowship of the College. Former Kerala Chief Minister P K Vasudevan, Guru Nitya Chaithanya Yati, Dr Philipose Mar Chrisostam, C M Stephen, P Govinda Pillai, Dr P C Alexander, Malayattoor Ramakrishnan, Justice K K Narendran and cine actor Dileep are some of the luminaries in the list of alumni of the college. “I would like to see UCC as a centre of excellence in our country in academics, morality and social commitment,” said principal T Thomas Philip.

The Navathi Committee has proposed a year-long programme. The Navathi Projects include the construction of a new academic block, library block, a centre for religious and social studies and a lecture
series organised by various departments. Rajan Gurukkal, Vice-Chancellor of MG University, will preside over the function.